Whispers in the Dark
by wordbearer
Summary: One Shot AU What if Aftershock Part 2 didn't go so well? A little tunnelrunning attempts to answer the question...


Hey, it's me and another of my pet one-shot AUs… There's a difference this time though, I have a new toy: _stream of consciousness monologue_. It's kind of tweaky at any rate, I'll let you judge whether it's any good. Enough from me, disclaimer, and then story. I don't own Teen Titans in any way, shape, or form. That honor belongs to someone at Cartoon Network and I don't want to challenge those people. I seek no profit from this and merely hope to avoid being sued. Enjoy if possible…

Whispers in the Dark

By Wordbearer

_-death destruction desolation my place my home my room no goes in my room wait watch preserve keep pure that which is alone deserved my fault Terra me her destroy Slade Robin Starfire city all dead me my place desolation Trigon's Daughter Mortal's Bane kill all I touch alone my fault solitude my place always and forever keep pure my tomb alone Sanctuary world me doesn't matter nothing matters everything matters someone's here my room no one goes in my room stay away save you save me alone forever I'll make you go away-_

"Damn rats. They're always underfoot…" The salvage worker kicked at the feral ebony vermin, as he followed his partner Albert.

He swung his flashlight around the decrepit tunnel and asked, "What are we looking for again? This place gives me the creeps…"

Albert looked back as he replied, "Looking for an old water main, the old man yelled at me because some high and mighty councilman yelled at him that the expensive new water they brought in from Oakland is disappearing, Oscar. He figures that it may be diverted by one of these pipes."

Oscar shrugged in reply and stared at a wall of molten stone to his left, "This part of the city that got hit by that freak volcano a couple of years ago? I was in Gotham at the time, but I read about it."

Albert gave a grim chuckle, "Yeah, all this is under the memorial park. Those were crazy times: super villains setting up shop in town, robot commandos, a bunch o' kids playing super hero… Good times, Oscar, good times. Kinda miss it… Never a dull news day." The squatter man rolled his eyes and went on ahead as Albert retold his 'exciting times in Jump City' story for the thousandth time.

He saw a glistening patch of water in the glare of his flashlight and whistled, "Yo. Water. Looks fresh. Think we're getting close?"

Albert snapped out of his reverie, "That'd be a major clue. I'll take the north junction; you take the east junction. These tunnels circle around, so we should…" He trailed off as Oscar cursed at the scurrying vermin, "Damn rats. Hate the little bastards."

Albert chuckled, "You're not scared of a few mangy mice are you? Comes with the job."

Oscar muttered, "Not scared, just want to throw up whenever I seem 'em." Albert smiled, an expression that wavered as something came into view in the darkly lit tunnel, something human-sized and draped in a moldering cloak. The sound of rats grew louder.

_-can smell hear feel sense outsiders so loud so alive in my sacred place my tomb desolation hatred shall rule alone should not be allowed destiny safe in my grave no must control it will be the same back in the End Terra kill Slade volcano could stop would die would not should have sacrificed no had to save her knew I could stop it could not alone heat shield lava flow past pressure the pain engulf me it burns shadows hide feel felt them die Terra Robin Starfire gone all gone desolation city burn my fault destroy all I touch alone shadows save me save the world Father outsiders in my room I will make them leave me alone forever-_

The figure glided forward without seeming to touch the ground, its cloak brushing cement gently. Oscar looked sidelong at Albert before moving forward, "Hello? Who are you? Are you lost? These tunnels are condemned…" The figure passed into the light of their flashlights and the cloak parted for an instant. Both men were sickened by what they saw: the gaunt frame of a malnourished girl, no, a young woman, with grey skin and an arm so badly burned it resembled a misshapen claw as it hung limply at her side.

Albert stepped forward, "Are you okay miss? Let us help you…"

Albert gestured for Oscar to help him take the strange young woman's arms and guide her back to medical help. The woman trembled before muttering, "No. No. I can't go… You have to go. This is my place, my tomb, my haven. I have to stay; you have to go. Now."

The terror in her voice hardened Albert's resolve, "I insist you come with us. Just for a little while. Please? Let us help you…" The chittering of rats boosted in volume and black bodies scuttled insistently toward the confrontation.

The woman shook her head in the depths of her hood, "You don't understand. You have to go. You have to go now. This is my place, my alone, what I deserve." She tore away from Albert's grasp and the gesture ripped the hood off her face. Oscar swore as his friend took an involuntary step back. It was a face that should have been beautiful. Her face was half-starved and hideously scarred: half of her scalp hairless and layered with twisted scar tissue. One azule eye blazed with barely suppressed terror, a lopsided lantern to the sunken pit that filled her other eye socket. Her lips were wet and split as she chewed them in apparent confusion.

She spat out, "Go now. You have to go. Now. This is my place; it will always be my place."

Albert murmured in shock, "You're Raven. You're supposed to be dead…" Oscar looked away from the spectacle to find ebony rats sitting on every flat surface in the tunnel, hundreds of red-blazing eyes coldly measuring him up.

He muttered, "Albert. I think we're in trouble…"

A measure of self-control entered Raven's cracked voice, "You need to go. Just go away. Leave me alone…"

_-destruction so hard to think want me to go them destroy all I touch Terra Robin Starfire dead all dead can not not safe not worthy my fault they are so loud my place want to go back to light life hope no they must go must stay forever they see my scars are nothing crime unforgivable now forever no hope they must go must stay in the dark my tomb pay my penance forever they must go alone into the light rage shall consume you they must go no will not kill mean no harm shut up shut up go go go I will make you leave me alone-_

Raven backed away from the men, the swarm of infernal vermin parting to let her through. They shifted their glances between her and the four-eyed rats. Oscar muttered, "Between the rats and the dark, I'm inclined to go. Really."

Albert nodded, "Yeah, but that's up to her… She was the scary one of the bunch, could throw a car at your head without breaking a sweat." Raven drew her cloak about her with her good arm as they spoke, face twitching and eye blazing white.

She mumbled, "You have to go. Leave me alone. I belong here. Leave my room… Go home or I will make you go home! Go away! Go away now!" Her aura flared and the rats chattered in excitement.

Oscar went pale, "We'd love to. But your… your… your pets are blocking the way."

Raven frowned as if seeing the rats for the first time, "Not real, ignore them and they can't hurt you. I can't make them go away anymore. You just have to go. Leave. Now. Leave me alone…" The men just blinked in confusion, standing in their narrow circle of safety as the rats closed in.

Oscar muttered, "They look real enough to me." Albert's face was pale and frozen, his eyes locked on the former super-heroine as she quivered in the grip of some internal dilemma.

_-should go nothing to be afraid of not real they want to stay me here darkness so nice laughter speech friends no not worthy my fault Terra Robin Starfire destroyed spared live to suffer penance they should run the Shadows can not hurt not real too real kill them no no no not right they threaten solitude not reason they must go feel my fury they must go alone all alone desolation deserved they must go blood on my hands they must go alive dead I will make them go-_

Raven's voice snapped into sullen focus as it issued from the shadows, "You have to go." She straightened and her eye flashed red.

Oscar coughed, "Love to, but the rats are…" A wave of cold exploded from her form and the rats dissolved into wisps of mist. Albert opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off as Raven's cloak exploded with growth. The dark mystic towered over the pair, black tendrils lashing in the dark.

Her voice thundered with finality, "You. Have. To. Go. Now. Leave me alone! Go away or I'll kill you all!" The breath misted from Oscar and Albert's mouths in the suddenly chill tunnel. Raven's tendrils left trails of frost wherever they touched. Oscar fled first and Albert held his ground for no more then a second more. Raven moved forward to pursue and paused, her angry resolution fading into relieved confusion. The tendrils faded away.

Further down the tunnel, running feet echoed off the walls as a voice panted, "Hey Albert?"

"What, Oscar?" "I reaaally hope she isn't following us. She was scary. Hra hra. Less talking, more running…"

Albert replied, "Right. That's a good…" The curve of the tunnel cut off the voices as Raven sank to the ground limply.

_-they go leave run me solitude restored so close anger rage blood on my hands not safe they gone can not hear see sense feel outsiders defile purify tainted isolation so cold so dark make it stop make it stop safe them me no one near no one hurt me torment alone all alone desolation my place always forever my profane crypt I will let the shadows carry me home-_

Soooooo… You made it down here. What did you think? Good, bad, or just plain irritating? It was a new tool I was playing with, a literary experiment as it were. If you see fit, leave a review and tell me what you think. Thank you for your time.


End file.
